The Reincarnation Chronicles
by Saigo no Hajime
Summary: The Bleach universe operates on a theory of reincarnation. But how exactly does it work? What actually happens to the souls that cross between the worlds? A series of one-shots in which some form of reincarnation plays a part.
1. Dream Reality

**A/N:** Yay! I finally managed to write something again! See, I completely lost interest in Bleach over the summer, so of course, nothing was getting written. Since I have several collections of oneshots still ongoing, plus I promised a sequel to my longer story 'Restructuring Life', I was feeling really guilty about not posting anything. But finally I'm back into Bleach and I'm writing again, so hopefully I'll be able to update some of my older stories soon.

Anyway, about this story: I hope to make this the first chapter in another one-shot/short story collection that focuses on the theme of reincarnation. The next story (completely unrelated to this one) will likely be in 4, possibly 5 parts, but since I only have the first 3 written, it might not be up for a little while.

**Title:** Dream Reality  
**Author:** Saigo no Hajime  
**Summary: **A semi-stream of consciousness story following Ichigo's reaction to a tragedy.  
**Pairings:** IchiRuki (though could be taken as extremely deep friendship, rather than romance)  
**Disclaimer:** If I died and were reincarnated as Kubo Tite (or his lookalike), then maybe I would own Bleach. Until then, it's not mine...  
**A/N:** This is a semi-stream of consciousness, so if you find run-ons or odd sentence structures, they are supposed to be there. I was trying to use them to create the right mood. If you complain about them, make sure it's because you truly thought it made the story worse, not just because they were there. If you do have problems (with that, or anything else), please do tell me. I can't get enough of reviews, both positive ones and constructive criticism, because it's both so wonderful to hear from readers and it helps me improve my writing. Also, I respond to all signed reviews with at least a thank you and an attempt to answer any questions or concerns you might have had. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!

* * *

Ichigo knew Rukia's spirit energy better than even his own. He could barely sense anyone else's and only rarely could he recognize whose energy was whose. And even then it was only with supreme concentration. But none of that was true when it came to Rukia.

If she was anywhere within the whole of Karakura Town, he could track her location exactly. He could pick her out of a crowded room, blindfolded, without a moment's hesitation. When she traveled between worlds, Ichigo was aware of her presence the instant she entered the living world. Even when they were separated, each in a different world, he could still register a faint and distant thrum of energy that told him she was still there.

When she was fighting, he would know.

When she was upset or angry, he would know.

When she was happy, he would know and would feel his lips tug up at the corners as he fought a smile.

And when Kuchiki Rukia's spirit energy suddenly and abruptly disappeared, Ichigo's sense of reality went with it.

The shell of her body lying mere feet away held no meaning for him. Her energy wasn't in it, therefore it wasn't Rukia. It couldn't be Rukia. It couldn't even exist.

The smirking form of Aizen hovering over the body didn't exist either. Rukia's energy was gone. The distant hum of her presence that he felt even across worlds had stopped. Therefore, the world itself must also have ceased to exist.

The blade rushing toward him didn't matter. It wasn't real. The pain in his fingers as he caught the blade barehanded wasn't real either. There was no blood flowing. It was fake. The torn fingers and shredded palm of his hand didn't exist. Aizen was just a figment of his imagination, so as Ichigo yanked at the nonexistent sword, the resistance to his tugging was a mere illusion as well.

It was all just a dream. Just a horrible, monstrous nightmare. But dreams could be controlled. If you could learn to control a dream, there were no limits to what you could do as you slept. So Ichigo took control. He made himself faster than Aizen, and he made himself stronger as well. But when he finally whipped Aizen's own blade through the man's neck and sent the head flying to land next to the empty NOT-dead NOT-Rukia's body, he felt nothing. It was just a dream, and soon he would wake up, and the real Aizen would still be alive and waiting. And Rukia's energy would once again be thrumming against his senses.

He didn't understand why he stayed asleep.

He followed the Unohana of his dream all the way from Hueco Mundo to Sereitei. He humored her when she insisted that she tend his injuries. What was the point? When he woke up they would be gone. But then he climbed into a 4th division futon and went to sleep, and when he woke up again he was still dreaming. Rukia's energy was still gone.

Renji was in the dream now too. He was sitting by the futon when Ichigo woke up, and his face was lined with weariness and streaked with old tears. Ichigo laughed because there was no way it was real, and he told the red-head that Rukia would laugh her head off too when she heard that the ultra-tough 6th division fukutaichou had been crying.

Suddenly Dream Renji was shouting at him in fury and rage and Ichigo relaxed because that was more like it. Renji was supposed to yell, not cry, and what the hell kind of drugs had his subconscious been on to create such a crazy image?

He chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Renji. It's only a dream. None of this will be real when I wake up."

But when his friend stopped in mid-shout and stared at him in silence; when he stood up and walked to the door; when he said softly, "Go home, Ichigo. Just go home," and walked out, Ichigo had to wonder. Why was it taking so long for morning to come?

He did go home. If he had to stay dreaming, he decided, it was better to dream about being around his sisters and his crazy father and his normal life. Anything would be better than dreaming about attending a memorial service for Rukia because, damn it, she WASN'T dead! Anything was better than dreaming about random shinigami running from him in terror, because Aizen wasn't dead either, so Ichigo couldn't possibly have killed him and there was no reason to be afraid of a mere substitute!

Only it _was_ worse at home. Every time he looked at his closet, it hurt. Every time he walked past the rabbits in the pet store on the way to school, he felt his heart clench. Every time he looked at her empty desk in class, his throat tightened. Every time he saw a juice box, his eyes stung.

And he simply could not wake up. He tried harder and harder every day. It hurt more and more every day. He kept telling himself that it could not possibly be real, that it was just a dream, just an illusion, completely false. So why Why WHY could he not wake up!?

And then one day, finally, he sensed it: Rukia's energy was back! It was tiny, faint, and vague, so vague that if it had been anyone else, he might have dismissed it. But it was Rukia, he knew that for sure. Only, it had appeared in the middle of the day, while he was sitting in dream school, wide awake. Why had she reappeared when he hadn't had a chance to emerge from the dream?

He left class, and then school, and ran across town, following the trail of the elusive energy. Why was it here? Why was he still dreaming? Why was Rukia's energy so faint? Why…why was it coming from a hospital…from the…maternity ward? There…there she was…this was where her energy was coming from…

A baby. A tiny infant with brilliant green eyes. A sweet, bald, wrinkled, chubby-faced newborn child. Who was radiating Rukia's energy pattern. What? What was going on? She…?

Oh. Ooohhh. It…wasn't a dream. It really did happen. Rukia…really had…died. But she was here, she was back! She was…reincarnated in this innocent little human baby.

Ichigo collapsed, falling back against the wall of the hospital, unconscious. Three days later, he finally woke up. The first thing he did was run from his hospital room back to the maternity ward. In minutes, he had found out who the mother of that beautiful, special, important little baby was. And he had sworn on his soul that he would protect this little girl for the rest of his existence.

* * *

**A/N:** Ok, I hope the ending wasn't too abrupt or that the story wasn't too confusing...well, let me know what you think!

Oh, and a note about Ichigo's fight with Aizen: I realize that what happened probably sounded very weird, given that Ichigo was narrating it, and he was a bit crazy at the time. Basically, I have a theory about Ichigo's abilities. When he beat his hollow while training with the vizards, he supposedly gained the ability to access the hollow's strength to surpass his own limitations as a shinigami. And yet, when he loses control against Ulquiorra in the manga, the hollow is clearly still way more powerful. Ichigo is apparently accessing only a fraction of his hollow's power consciously. Why is that? My theory is, Ichigo may be capable of going beyond his own limits, but his own logical brain is still telling him he can't. He'll only be able to do it it he stops believing in those limits, which is easier said than done. In this story, the instant Rukia died, Ichigo started believing that it was all just a dream. Since limits don't truly exist in a dream state, he was finally able to move past the logic that was holding him back. So where he said that he made himself faster and stronger than Aizen, what he was really doing is accessing his full strength as a vizard. ::shrug:: Well, anyway, I hope that made sense, and that you enjoyed the story!


	2. Split Soul Part I

**Title:** Split Soul I: Prologue  
**Author:** Saigo no Hajime  
**Summary:** What will happen to Ichigo when he dies? After all, he's part human, part shinigami, and part hollow. So which of the three forms of death will he face? And of equal importance is the question: What will happen to Ichigo's inner hollow when death occurs? Will he disappear from existence? Or will he obtain the freedom he's desired from the beginning?  
**Pairings:** hints of IchiRuki, HichiHime (sort of)  
**Disclaimer:** My Mom gave me Bleach for my birthday this week! Yay!! ...of course, it was only the third box set and the second movie. The show itself still belongs to Kubo Tite. ::sigh::  
**A/N:** Ok, there are a couple things I need to say about this story. First of all, as of this moment, it's 4 parts long. It's possible, though not guaranteed, that a 5th part (an epilogue) will be written. If so, it'll be written in the same style as this prologue, while the middle 3 chapters are normal prose. I'll be posting them one a day, starting today. Also, these chapters are essentially an introduction. I'm tempted to write a much longer story using these chapters for the beginning. That'll only happen if I can find a plotline that I like, though. So if you're interested, please let me know and, if possible, give me an idea of what you'd like to see. The romantic pairings above are only hinted at in these first chapters, but if I create a full story, they'd play a larger role.

Secondly, the style of this prologue is, um, kinda weird. I like it too much to change it, but it's definitely different from how I normally write. Anyway, in order to read it properly, remember: 'normal font' is Ichigo's dialogue, '_italic font_' is Hichigo's dialogue, and '**bold font**' is stream-of-consciousness description.

Well, I guess I'll put the other notes either at the end or in the other chapters. Enjoy the story, and I treasure and respond to all reviews, so please let me know what you think!

* * *

**Pain.**

**Rage.**

"Damn it! Did I lose? Am I - "

"_Stupid fuckin' King! I could have saved us!"_

"And then what, Hollow!? After our enemy was gone, you would have gone after my friends!"

"_Brain dead idiot! You think I like when it rains in here!? You think I'd deliberately start a downpour!?"_

"Huh? But…"

"_But nooooo! You had to get us killed by trying to prevent something that never would have happened anyway!"_

"Don't give me that, you bastard! You attacked Ishida once already! You stabbed him when we were fighting Ulquiorra!"

"_I had a fucking hole in my chest thanks to you, imbecile! I'm not immune to pain! The stupid Quincy got in my way and I thought he was an enemy! It was a fucking accident!"_

"But - "

**Pain. Waves of agony.**

**Darkness. Confusion.**

"What's…what's going on?"

"_Hell if I know…"_

"We're dead, aren't we?"

"_Of course we are, and it's your fault, King."_

"But…why does it still hurt? Why…are we…still here?"

"_I told you…Hell…if I…know."_

**Confusion. Stillness.**

**Empty. Everything is still and empty and dark.**

**A face. A girl. Black hair framing a face of smooth white skin. A lose strand falling into tear-filled violet eyes. A black shihakusho draped over her body. In her hands a sword, gleaming pure white. 'Don't leave. Keep fighting!'**

"She's - "

**Another face. A second girl. Long orange hair cascading down over a pair of delicate shoulders. Shoulders which were shaking with sobs. Wet gray eyes, tear tracks streaking down plump cheeks. Arms curling around a well-formed chest as a golden light faded from the air in front of her. 'It didn't work... Why couldn't I do it? Come back!'**

" – _beautiful."_

**Fading. Blackness. Darkness. **

**What is black? **

**Dark? What? **

**Confusion.**

"Who…who am I?"

"_King…you're King…"_

"W-who…are…who are…you?"

"_I'm…I…um…"_

"W-who d-did…you say…I…w-was?"

"_I…I don't…know…"_

**Light. Bright light. Sounds. 'Stupid brats, lying in the street. Serve 'em right if we ran 'em over. Ow, why'd you hit me, woman!'**

**Alarm. Fear.**

**Movement.**

"Ow!"

"_Ack!"_

**Two boys, age 9. Identical round boyish faces, but one with normal skin and the other pasty white. Identical spiky hair, but one colored orange and the other pure white. Identically shaped eyes, filled with confusion, but one set brown and the other golden yellow. Two hands rubbing at bruised foreheads. Two voices, speaking at the same time.**

"Who? What?"

"_Who are you?"_

"Huh? I'm…um…I'm Ichigo…I think."

"_Ichigo? I…I think my name is…similar. But what…"_

"Similar?"

"_It's Mamoru, I think…"_

"That is similar."

"_Yeah. Are we…I mean, we look so much alike, are we - "_

" – brothers?"

"_Yeah. I sort of think that we are."_

"I don't know…but maybe you're right."

**Two boys helping each other to stand. Two boys staring around in amazement at the dusty little town in which they had awakened. A rickshaw, pulled by a panting man, barreling down the street towards them. Two boys diving frantically toward the side of the road, coming up against an old, rotting sign.**

'**West Rukongai District 47 – Reiwaru'**

* * *

**A/N:** Couple more notes: First, 'Mamoru' means 'to protect'. Thus it's similar to 'Ichigo', which means 'One who protects' or 'To protect one thing' or something along those lines. Second, there is more to Mamoru than what is obvious! I mean, well, I don't want to spoil the explanation in Part IV, but don't jump to any conclusions. The situation is way more complex than it appears!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Part I, and Part II will be posted tomorrow. Until then!


	3. Split Soul Part II

**Title:** Split Soul II: Thieves  
**Author:** Saigo no Hajime  
**Summary:** What will happen to Ichigo when he dies? After all, he's part human, part shinigami, and part hollow. So which of the three forms of death will he face? And of equal importance is the question: What will happen to Ichigo's inner hollow when death occurs? Will he disappear from existence? Or will he obtain the freedom he's desired from the beginning?  
Pairings: hints of IchiRuki, HichiHime (sort of)  
**Disclaimer:** My brother gave me a late birthday present yesterday...do you think I'll be able to find Bleach on Amazon? And will a $25 gift certificate be enough to pay for it? No? Didn't think so... Kubo Tite owns Bleach...at least until he puts it up for sale on Amazon!  
**A/N:** Hey everyone! So I hope you enjoyed part 1 yesterday. This chapter and the following two will be in normal prose, rather than the strange style of the first one. As always, I treasure all reviews, and will always respond with at least a thank you if you comment. Also, as I mentioned in part 1, I'm tempted to make this 4 or 5 part story the introduction to a longer story, but I need help coming up with a larger plotline. So let me know if you have any ideas! Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

A small boy of about nine years, with spiky orange hair, clambered over the wooden fence and dropped to his knees behind a thick bush. He peered out through the leaves, scanning the open yard in front of him. There were piles of clay dishes, stacked all over the grass. Several sealed containers were pushed up against the wall of the house. The boy knew they were filled with clay, and had been specially made to keep the substance moist and usable. The owner of the house was a potter. And thanks to his skill at the art and the influence of his two shinigami sons, he was a very rich potter.

The boy knew this because he had been coming to this yard for weeks. The potter was rich and, to be ready should his sons visit, he always made sure to have food on hand. And it was for this food that the boy kept coming. Now he frowned, though. The potter didn't get hungry himself, but he always enjoyed the taste of his food. He kept a store of fruits and vegetables on the front step of the house at all times, just in case he got in the mood to eat while sitting outside. But today the porch was empty. No fruit, not even a scrap of orange peel or a seed.

The boy crept forward, trying to get a better look. Had the stash been moved somewhere else? Or had the potter just been especially greedy and eaten it all? The boy shook his head and pushed farther through the bushes, even daring to poke his head out into the open in order to see better. But there was still no sign of any food. Suddenly, there was a rush of movement to the side and he jerked away instinctively, falling completely out of the covering plants.

"Gotcha!" Came the triumphant shout.

The boy looked frantically towards what had startled him and froze. The chubby old potter was standing there and next to him stood a young man in a black shihakusho. A shinigami! One of the potter's sons! He whirled around, scrambling to his feet and starting to flee, only to freeze again. Another shinigami, who clearly resembled the first, was standing over him and scowling, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Ichigo!"

The boy, Ichigo, jerked at the sudden shout and his head snapped over to look at the bushes on the other side of the yard. There was another boy just climbing into view. He was almost the twin of the first, and had it not been for the white color of his hair and the gold of his eyes, they would have been identical.

"Run Mamoru," Ichigo shouted frantically. "You've got to get out of here!"

For an instant the white-haired boy hesitated, but in the end he obeyed. He only made it a few steps, though, as suddenly a third shinigami rose up out of the bushes and Mamoru collided hard. This one was a young woman, and she reached down to catch his arm, preventing both a fall and any further attempts to flee.

Ichigo started forward, shouting, "Oi! Let go of - ," but was cut off as the potter grabbed the back of his ragged shirt and hoisted him in the air.

"How dare you steal food from me, you brat!" Flecks of spit hit Ichigo's face as the potter shouted at him, and his disgust overwhelmed his good sense.

"We're hungry, you bloated piece of lard! What good does that food do to you other than to make you fatter! We need it!"

One of the shinigami brothers stepped forward with a growl, "Don't you speak to my father like that, boy! You're only – ."

He was interrupted by his female companion, where she stood looking down at Mamoru. "Is that true? You're actually feeling hungry?"

The gold-eyed boy looked up at her in surprise, and then blushed as his growling stomach answered the question. The woman laughed lightly, and then turned to her angry friends and their father.

"Listen, I'll buy an extra dish or two to pay for the food they took. I'll take them off your hands too."

Every jaw in the yard dropped open in surprise. The brother who had been silent until now asked curiously, "Why would you do that, Amaya?"

"Because if they are hungry, they have spiritual power," she stated simply. "And the Gotei 13 is way under strength thanks to the war. We need as many new recruits as we can get."

"And what makes you think we'll come?" Ichigo snapped at her, irritated at how casually she was talking about choosing his future for him. "You don't have any right to just take us!"

"Don't I?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him. "Well, I guess I could always leave you here with the Tsukimarus. But they're pretty angry, aren't they? Who knows what they'll do."

At that moment both Ichigo's and Mamoru's stomachs growled loudly. Mamoru flushed again in embarrassment, but Ichigo just glared harder at the female shinigami. She laughed, and said smugly, "Besides, you'll have all you want to eat at the academy. So, how hungry are you?"

Ichigo clenched his fists angrily, but before he could say anything, Mamoru spoke up. "I'll come," he said quietly. He looked over to Ichigo, "I'm really hungry, Ichigo, and I know you are too. Besides, don't you remember those girls we saw? Maybe we can figure out who they are. And maybe we can do something about those creepy voices too."

"Keh," Ichigo muttered, still irritated, but gave in. "Fine, if it's really what you want, Mamoru, we'll go."

* * *

**A/N:** Part III will be posted tomorrow!


	4. Split Soul Part III

**Title:** Split Soul III: Recruits  
**Author:** Saigo no Hajime  
**Summary:** What will happen to Ichigo when he dies? After all, he's part human, part shinigami, and part hollow. So which of the three forms of death will he face? And of equal importance is the question: What will happen to Ichigo's inner hollow when death occurs? Will he disappear from existence? Or will he obtain the freedom he's desired from the beginning?  
**Pairings:** hints of IchiRuki, HichiHime (sort of)  
**Disclaimer:** So I was watching the Game Show Network on tv yesterday, and I was wondering if we could ever convince Kubo Tite to host a game show. The winner gets to write an episode of Bleach. That would be fun, right? ::sigh:: Too bad he'd never do such a thing... Anyway, he definitely owns Bleach, not me.  
**A/N:** As always, I treasure all reviews, and will always respond with at least a thank you if you comment. Also, as I mentioned in part 1, I'm tempted to make this 4 or 5 part story the introduction to a longer story, but I need help coming up with a larger plotline. So let me know if you have any ideas! Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!

* * *

An hour later the two boys were sitting next to the Shinigami Amaya in a rickshaw moving steadily away from the West Rukongai 47th district, Reiwaru. She was studying the clay dishes she had bought, and admiring the clever designs while her two young charges munched happily on a selection of rice balls. For some time, silence reigned, but finally the shinigami turned to the boys and asked, "So your names are Ichigo and Mamoru?"

Ichigo, his mood much improved by the food, was the one to answer. "That's right. I'm Ichigo, and he's Mamoru. We think we're brothers, but we're not sure."

The woman cocked her head in confusion, "You think?"

"We woke up about a month ago right next to each other," Ichigo told her, "We look so much alike that we decided we must be related."

"But we don't remember anything other than our names," Mamoru chimed in, his mouth still full of rice.

The shinigami woman frowned, "Ehh? That's unusual. Almost everyone forgets eventually, but it usually happens slowly over time. It's rare to not have any memories when you arrive. And for siblings to arrive together is almost unheard of."

She studied them for a moment before shrugging. "Well, anyway," she said, "I'm Soramichi Amaya, 11th seated officer of the 12th division. I'm going to have to take you to speak to my taichou first when we reach Seireitei. You're a little young to go into the academy, so we might need to make some special arrangements.

"Taichou?" Ichigo asked sharply, his earlier frown returning, "Special arrangements? What are you talking about?"

"Don't worry," Amaya hastily tried to reassure him. "It's just that you're younger than normal. That's happened before, and it shouldn't be any problem. Plus, you'll like Kurotsuchi-taichou. She's new to the position, and really kind."

Ichigo grunted, still suspicious, but didn't say anything. With a sigh, Amaya turned to the more trusting Mamoru. "By the way, what were you talking about earlier?"

The white-haired boy looked up from his meal curiously and asked, "Earlier? What do you mean?"

"You said something about seeing girls and hearing creepy voices. Before we left the Tsukimaru place."

"Oh that," Mamoru said. "Well, I guess what we said about our memories might not be completely true. See, we each remember a different girl. We don't know if they really count as memories, though. It was more like we dreamed them."

"So why do you think going to Seireitei will help?" Amaya asked curiously.

"Because the girl Ichigo dreamed about was a shinigami," Mamoru told her, pointing at his brother. Ichigo's scowl deepened and he slouched into his seat, looking away.

"And what about you? You dreamed about a different girl?"

"Yeah!" Mamoru exclaimed. "She was really beautiful! She had this long hair, a really warm orange-brown color, and it looked really soft! And her eyes were pretty too, though I wish she hadn't been crying." His face fell sadly, "Yeah, I wish she hadn't been crying. She would have been even prettier then."

At this Ichigo grunted, and without looking over he spoke up, "She'll never be as pretty as my shinigami, though."

"Hey! Don't say that!" Mamoru snapped, his easy-going attitude finally breaking for a moment. "You didn't see her!"

"And you didn't see my shinigami, either," Ichigo growled back, finally turning back. The two boys glared fiercely at each other for a moment before both turned their backs on each other and stared out opposite windows.

Amaya brought a hand up to her mouth to cover her giggles at their behavior before asking, "And the voices you mentioned?"

It was Ichigo who answered this time, after a moment of hesitation. "Yeah," he said carefully, "I know it sounds crazy, but we've each been hearing a voice in our heads since we got here. Honestly though, mine's not all that creepy. Depressing, sure, but nice enough. Mamoru's though…"

Ichigo trailed off with a concerned glance at his brother, who took over speaking. "My voice…it's always taunting me," Mamoru said softly, staring at his knees. "It's always talking about how I'm weak and pathetic and useless. And it keeps calling me 'king', even though it sounds like he thinks I'm some sort of worm."

******************************

Hours later, when the sun was long gone down behind the horizon, the rickshaw came to a halt outside of a huge gate. Amaya climbed out after a quick glance revealed both boys were sound asleep. Glancing around the moonlit area, she called out, "Jidanbo? Oi, Jidanbo, where are you?"

"Back so soon, Soramichi-san?" The rumbling voice came out of the darkness, followed by the massive form of the gate guardian. "Weren't you going to be gone for another few days?"

"Yeah, but something came up," she told the friendly giant. "I found a couple of kids out in Reiwaru with spiritual energy. I think they'll do pretty well here. Heh, although Ichigo's been a bit of a brat so far."

To her surprise, Jidanbo's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. "I-Ichigo? One of these kids is called Ichigo?"

"Yeah, their names are Ichigo and Mamoru," Amaya told him, blinking in confusion. "What's wrong, Jidanbo?"

Jidanbo sniffed loudly and spoke through teary hiccups, "It's j-just that I had a friend c-called Ichigo. H-he d-died not th-that long ago. One of the l-last to d-die in the war." The giant let out a sob, "He was a really great guy. A really really wonderful man."

Amaya awkwardly reached out to pat his leg in comfort. "I'm sorry to hear that, Jidanbo. We lost a lot of great men in the war. But at least it's over now."

Jidanbo gave another thunderous sniff and then stooped to haul the gate open. "G-go on through, Soramichi-san," he blubbered. "And t-tell your little Ichigo good luck from me."

"Thanks Jidanbo," Amaya called back before climbing back into the rickshaw and heading through the open gate.

Only a short time later, the cart pulled to a final halt in front of the 12th division headquarters. Amaya quickly shook the two boys awake, assuring them that they would be given real beds to sleep in very soon. They sleepily followed her into the division buildings. To Amaya's surprise, her soft-spoken new taichou, Kurotsuchi Nemu, was standing in the entrance hall talking with a green-clad stranger. They turned to look at the new arrivals, and Amaya was shocked to recognize the stranger as the famous, or rather the infamous, Urahara Kisuke.

"I'm very sorry," she exclaimed, bowing, "I didn't mean to interrupt you, Kurotsuchi-taichou, or you, Urahara-san!"

"It is no matter," Kurotsuchi said, her voice crisp and emotionless. "Urahara-sama has merely come to make use of our equipment for some of his own research."

"Research I'm apparently not going to need to do," Urahara interrupted, sweeping his striped hat off his head as he stared at the two children standing just inside the door. "It would appear my hypothesis has already been proven correct."

"Take these children to an empty room in the barracks and then return," Kurotsuchi ordered Amaya. "We will need a complete report."

* * *

**A/N:** So I hope I didn't scare anyone by taking them to the 12th division first! And yes, I killed off Kurotsuchi Mayuri. I really hate him...but I like Nemu quite a bit. Anyway, so are you a little confused about Mamoru yet? :) Part 4 tomorrow will be something of a massive explanation, so I hope you're looking forward to it!


	5. Split Soul Part IV

**Title:** Split Soul IV: Explanation  
**Author:** Saigo no Hajime  
**Summary:** What will happen to Ichigo when he dies? After all, he's part human, part shinigami, and part hollow. So which of the three forms of death will he face? And of equal importance is the question: What will happen to Ichigo's inner hollow when death occurs? Will he disappear from existence? Or will he obtain the freedom he's desired from the beginning?  
**Pairings:** hints of IchiRuki, HichiHime (sort of)  
**Disclaimer:** ::sigh:: I can't think of anything special for this one. So I guess I'll just be boring this time. I do not own Bleach, Kubo Tite does.  
**A/N:** Ok, so this is the final chapter that I actually have written. The ending doesn't really feel like an ending, but I don't see how I could wrap it up in only one or two more chapters. And I don't want a story any longer than that posted inside a oneshot collection. As I've said, I do want to expand this into a full, long story, but I'd be posting it on its own, separate from the collection. Plus, while I can see plenty of directions I could take it, I don't have an actual plot to use. So if you're interested, please let me know and, if possible, give me an idea of what you'd like to see. And as I've said many times, I treasure and respond to all reviews!

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It took hours for Urahara to be satisfied that Soramichi Amaya had given all the information she possibly could. By the time he had finished grilling her, the curiosity she had felt at first had completely melted away into exhaustion. She accepted Kurotsuchi-taichou's crisp dismissal with immense gratitude, dragging herself away to bed without a second thought.

Urahara, on the other hand, was suddenly bursting with energy and enthusiasm. After all, he'd just had a complex hypothesis confirmed with hardly any work. It was huge discovery, and one that would rock the foundations of Soul Society. Not to mention it would make a lot of people very happy. But for the moment it was the scientific breakthrough that was occupying the former taichou's thoughts. It really was an incredible advance in the information concerning reincarnation.

So it was with a cheerful beaming smile that he bounced into the 1st division meeting chamber at 2AM. A series of hell butterflies sent out by Kurotsuchi-taichou had alerted the other divisions' taichou to a situation that urgently needed to be discussed. They had deliberately left out any details about what the situation was, though. Urahara had been too excited about having a surprise for them. Which, of course, meant that a dozen sleepy, irritable taichou were waiting for him in the meeting room. None of their moods were improved in the slightest by the former renegade's overly energetic entrance. And the first words out of his mouth only made them angrier.

"I was right!" He shouted. Then he paused for a moment before continuing just as cheekily, "Not that that's very surprising, is it?"

He completely ignored the waves of irritated reiatsu and grumbling aimed in his direction and asked delightedly, "Guess who showed up at the 12th division tonight?"

Standing next to a snarling Zaraki, and feeling icy wind coming from Hitsugaya beside him, Kurotsuchi Nemu decided to step in. Unluckily for her, saying, "Our 11th seated officer, Soramichi," didn't help the other taichou's tempers much. But finally, Urahara gave in and completed her sentence.

"Along with the former Kurosaki Ichigo."

Immediately, the room went completely silent. Jaws had dropped open, eyes had opened to stare, and no one in the room was even remotely tired anymore.

"What did you just say?" Ukitake asked in a mixture of hope and disbelief.

Soi Fon spoke up as well, before Urahara could respond, "Impossible! He died in soul form. He couldn't have been brought here to Soul Society. He would have been reborn in the living world."

Urahara chuckled lightly, "You'd think so, wouldn't you? But I guessed, and apparently I was right, that it wouldn't matter if Ichigo were in soul form or not. He would still die as a human. You'd think after all the times that all of you reminded him he was only human, you'd automatically assume he'd respond to death as a human, don't you think?"

Soi Fon scowled, but was prevented from snapping back as Yamamoto said calmly, "His death was some time ago. Why has he not contacted us before now?"

"Mm, well, he was only part human, so he wasn't reborn exactly as a human would have been," Urahara said, finally taking on a more serious tone. "In other words, being human only allowed him to come to Rukongai. Otherwise, he responded to dying as a vizard would, since, of course, that is what he was."

"None of the other vizards have died, though." This time it was Hitsugaya who spoke up, his voice cold but curious. "How could you know how it would work with them? And how do you know that's what's happened with Kurosaki?"

"Because it wasn't just Kurosaki Ichigo who 11th seat Soramichi brought us," Kurotsuchi said before Urahara could. She dropped her eyes to the ground as everyone turned to look at her, and continued, "She brought two people. One is Kurosaki-san. The other is a twin, save for the color of his hair and eyes."

Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes narrowed as he asked coolly, "White and gold?"

The question raised gasps from several people as they understood what he was asking. But Urahara was waving his hand in negation even as he nodded.

"That's right," he said, "white hair and gold eyes. However," he met each of the taichou's eyes briefly, "he is not a hollow. You see, they both appear to be about nine or ten years old. I've researched reincarnation before, and I've found that purification of a hollow takes a great deal of energy. Usually found in the form of life energy. In other words, those former hollows that appear in Rukongai are almost always either much younger or much older than they were when they died."

"So, this second boy is Ichigo-kun's former inner hollow, now purified?" Ukitake asked curiously. "But why two? The hollow was only part of Ichigo-kun, not a full soul in itself, so shouldn't only Ichigo-kun remain after purification?"

"It's a little more complex than that," Urahara told him, smirking gleefully at the thought. "When he was alive, Ichigo had two sources of power for his soul to tap into. One shinigami and one hollow. The hollow source was purified, becoming a second shinigami source. Essentially, Ichigo became one soul with two unconnected zanpakuto. That's physically impossible. So the purified zanpakuto split off, and a new shinigami soul was created to wield it."

"That makes no sense!" Soi Fon snapped irritably.

"Actually," Nemu interrupted, "it makes perfect sense. A zanpakuto is essentially the physical representation of a soul's innermost being. One soul cannot be represented in two ways, so Kurosaki-san could not have two separate zanpakuto. And each zanpakuto must represent something or it could not exist, thus, in order to survive, the purified zanpakuto created a soul using itself as a core."

"I'm at least ninety-nine percent positive that the avatar for young Mamoru's zanpakuto will be virtually identical to what we used to call Ichigo's inner hollow," Urahara concluded. "Judging from what the boy says he's been hearing it say, there doesn't seem to be any other explanation. The only difference will be that its power will be tapped with a sword as the focus, rather than a mask."

Yamamoto sighed heavily before speaking, "In other words, we'll need to keep an eye on him. Though I suppose we would have done that anyway. But you still have not answered my question. Why did they not contact us sooner?"

Urahara pulled a fan out of the folds of his haori and opened it before answering, "Well, that would be because they don't remember anything."

He paused long enough to let the ripple of surprise and dismay pass before whipping his fan up in front of his face and decisively snapping it shut. "Except for the faces of two girls we're familiar with," he announced happily. "I'm guessing they may be triggers to unseal their memories. So let's run along and collect Kuchiki Rukia for Ichigo and Inoue Orihime for Mamoru, shall we?"

Byakuya frowned deeply at Urahara, and asked coldly, "And what, exactly, will be triggered in this 'Mamoru'? If he was created by the hollow at the moment of purification, he shouldn't have any memories to be accessed."

Urahara eyed him silently for a moment, before grinning widely and saying, "Hmm, well, I'm sure it'll be something interesting anyway!"

Nemu cleared her throat, the slightest hints of a frown on her face as she glanced briefly at Urahara. When she was sure she had everyone's attention, she stated quietly, "I do not believe we should bring Inoue Orihime into contact with him. I fear that in its final moments as a hollow, the spirit deliberately made his new host soul to be more easily manipulated than his former master, Kurosaki-san. The trigger may cause not the soul, but the zanpakuto, the former hollow, to regain its memories. If so, and if it has retained any of its former desire for domination, it may attempt to overthrow the soul."

"His name is Mamoru, Nemu-san," Urahara drawled.

"Yes," she acknowledged. "And if we wish for him to remain Mamoru, we should prevent any contact with Inoue Orihime at all costs."

"Very well," Yamamoto announced, cutting Urahara off before he could say anything. "Until you can assure me Kurotsuchi-taichou's fears are unfounded, Inoue Orihime is not to be allowed anywhere near these children. However, Kuchiki-taichou, Ukitake-taichou, I will expect Kuchiki Rukia to present herself at the 12th division tomorrow morning. Dismissed!"

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**A/N:** So I hope that wasn't too confusing? Or just plain weird? I thoroughly enjoyed explaining everything, but I'm not sure if I like how it turned out. ::shrug:: Anyway, as I said earlier, there are plenty of directions that this could go in, so if anyone is interested in seeing more, please let me know! And, if possible, let me know any ideas or suggestions you have about what you would want to see.

Some notes: First of all, before anyone yells at me about how having two zanpakuto _is_ possible (Ukitake & Kyouraku, for example), my excuse is the connected/unconnected thing. Ukitake's two swords are connected together, and Kyouraku's are identical. (I haven't seen the newest filler arc with the swords yet, so I don't know if any further info has been given about them). Anyway, I figured that once Hichigo was purified, he would no longer be connected to Zangetsu in any way, and he certainly wouldn't be identical. Thus the difference between this situation and Ukitake's and Kyouraku's. Does that make sense?

Second, my saying Ichigo is (or was) still human. I don't necessarily believe that, but until we're told straight out whether he's still alive or whether he died during his training with Urahara before the SS arc, it is still a possibility. And that's all this collection is, an exploration of the various possibilities.

Finally, I have another oneshot written for this collection already, though it is completely unconnected to this mini-series. I'll be posting it probably either Friday or Saturday. So until then, I hope you enjoyed this mini-series!


	6. Six Piece Puzzle

**Title:** Six Piece Puzzle  
**Author:** Saigo no Hajime  
**Summary: **What happens when the bonds of friendship become so deep that the souls themselves are tied together? Can death itself be overpowered?  
**Pairings:** IshiHime, IchiRuki (though could be taken as extremely deep friendship, rather than romance)  
**Disclaimer:** I'd try to buy Bleach from Kubo, but I seriously have no money...so I guess I'll have to keep saying "Bleach is not mine" for a very long time.  
**A/N:** So I wrote the poem several months ago, fully intending to base a oneshot around it, but it was only just recently that I was finally able to do it successfully. I hope you enjoy both the poem and the story! I hope you'll let me know what you think! I can't get enough of reviews, both positive ones and constructive criticism, because it's both so wonderful to hear from readers, and it helps me improve my writing. Also, I respond to all signed reviews with at least a thank you and an attempt to answer any questions or concerns you might have had. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy the story!

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_Your fault, my shame,_

_I wish I knew just who to blame._

_My thanks, your guilt,_

_Here in the house that no one built._

_One by one, we fall today,_

_Me first, you next._

_And then the failing light of day_

_Brings about the death of pride_

_As we lay here side by side._

_We lay here with no words to say._

There were times when Ichigo hated being a shinigami. He hated the blood and the weakness when he was injured. He hated the pain and the exhaustion. He hated the burden of protecting so many people. People who were completely unaware of the sacrifices being made for their sake. Sometimes he hated those same people, hated them even as he swung his blade in their defense. He hated his enemies too, and every once in a while, he hated his friends as well. And most of all he hated himself for feeling so much hatred, because really, no one deserved that from someone like him.

But there was one person he couldn't hate, even though in truth, he probably should. After all, Kuchiki Rukia was the one who had made him a shinigami. She was the one who had not just shown him the path, but had thrown him violently onto it. She was the one who had smacked him in the head and dragged him forward whenever he stumbled and fell, even while he shouted protests. She was the one Ichigo should have hated the most. But she was the one who he was most grateful to, for exactly those same reasons.

He knew she hated herself too. She blamed herself for all the things he had been forced to endure since she had changed his world. He doubted that would ever change. Especially now.

Right now her face was a mere foot away from his. It was streaked with blood, and all around her the ground was soaked with more of the crimson liquid. Only it wasn't crimson. It was a blazing puddle of red and orange and yellow and even pink. He raised his strangely heavy and disobedient eyes to the sky, where the brilliantly setting sun was casting the flaming colors down onto the bloody pool.

His gaze dropped back down and met Rukia's again. Her normally vibrant purple eyes had taken on a dull blue color, but there was still light there. It was a sad, grieving light, though. He understood. That pool was too big to have come only from Rukia. It was his blood too. And while he could think only about how he wished Rukia could live, she was thinking only about him. They really were too much alike, Ichigo decided.

He felt a small smile spread across his face, and a slight pinch told him that dried blood was flaking off. He stretched out his hand, causing ripples to flow through the blood separating him from Rukia. And at the same time, she too was stretching out her hand to meet his. A matching smile had crossed her face. There was no need for words and no strength to say them either. But it didn't matter. Their hearts were united and beating together.

Beating, slower and slower, until finally, at the same time, at the same instant, they gave a final shuddering beat. And the sun set above two still bodies, clasped hand to hand.

*******************************

_Your choice, my pain,_

_Now let fall the broken rain._

_My hopes, your fears,_

_Why must all be left in tears?_

_One by one, we turn aside,_

_You first, me next._

_Within our souls we hope to hide_

_The shadowed darkness in our eyes_

_That leads us all to naught but lies._

_We walk away, where once we cried._

Orihime loved. She didn't just love a person or a thing, or even a group of people or things. She loved everything and everyone without exception. She loved. She loved without conditions and without caring about the little things, or even the large things, that kept so many people apart. She gave a part of herself to every person and every thing that crossed her path, from the smallest human child to the coldest hollow to the most jaded shinigami. From the strands of grass beneath her feet to the buildings she walked by to the birds and animals that roamed the earth and sky.

She gave everything and never asked for anything in return. But that didn't mean she didn't want anything. She wanted plenty of things. She wanted peace and happiness, for herself as well as others. She wanted never to fight or to see fighting again. She wanted everyone to stay in perfect health forever. But the three things she wanted most were chances. A chance to tell Kurosaki-kun how she felt about him. A chance to apologize to Kuchiki-san for being jealous. And most of all, a chance to erase this sight from her memories.

A small tombstone, set in the ground not far from the Kurosaki shrine, engraved with two names and a few short words. She could barely see it through her tears, but she knew what it said, however much she wanted otherwise.

_Kurosaki Ichigo_

_Kuchiki Rukia_

_In life, dying._

_In death, living._

"If I were the rain," Orihime whispered, "I would simply fall. And hitting the ground, I would forget everything."

She turned to leave, silent again, as the last of her tears slipped down her cheek. Her gray eyes stared out at the gray world in front of her as she walked. There was a curtain of water falling down from the sky and hitting the grass at her feet, where it disappeared. But none of it reached Orihime. The umbrella with the blue and white cross held over her head kept her dry. And the silent Quincy holding it walked faithfully at her side.

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_Our lives, your death,_

_I wish you'd take just one more breath._

_Our deaths, your life,_

_Fate cuts us with a rusty knife._

_All alone will I rise tonight,_

_Beneath the moon, so cold and bright._

_I wish that I could call your name._

_I wish that we could stay the same._

_But silent will our mouths remain,_

_And change will drive the world insane._

_And still there's no one here to blame._

Chad had never tasted alcohol before. He'd always been determined not to touch a drop while he was still a minor. Now he wondered why he had waited. It tasted good, better than anything he had ever drunk before. It was like he had been parched with thirst all his life without realizing it, and now, suddenly, he had been offered water. He couldn't get enough of it. How many drinks had he had? He no longer knew or cared. All he knew was that Renji was holding the sake bottle, so to Renji he had to go.

Renji had been drinking alcohol for so many years he could no longer remember how young he had been when he'd had his first drink. He'd never regretted it before. Nothing wrong with some good sake on a regular basis, after all. Only he'd apparently had more than a little on more than a few occasions. Right now, he desperately wanted to drink himself into oblivion, drink away all the memories and all of the pain. But his stubborn brain refused to yield to the alcohol-induced stupor he was desperately trying to create.

Leaning against the wooden bar in the Rukongai inn, watching Chad staggering crazily in his general direction, Renji felt a sudden surge of envy. He'd managed it. Ichigo's gentle giant of a friend had managed to get completely sloshed. He didn't have to remember the memorial service. He didn't have to remember the stony, broken expressions on Byakuya's face and Ukitake's face and on the faces of so many others in attendance. He didn't have to think about the fact that he no longer had a purpose in this life.

_She_ had been Renji's purpose. Everything he had ever done in his life, everything that was worth anything, had been done for _Her_. Now that _She_ was gone, he had nothing left to pursue, nothing left to push him forward. And Renji knew it was the same for Chad. _He_ had been for the huge boy as _She _had been for him.

What were the two of them supposed to do now? There was no way to change what had happened. There wasn't even an enemy to fight for vengeance. _They_ had managed to do that on _Their_ own. So what was left? It was on the tip of his tongue to ask _Her_, even though he knew _She_ wasn't there, _She_'d never be there again. But he still wanted to ask. He didn't know how to move forward on his own.

Chad had finally made it to Renji's side and had greedily snatched the sake bottle from the red-head's unresisting hand. He raised it to his lips and started to take a drink. But then a single syllable escaped Renji's lips.

"Ru-"

Chad's body shuddered violently and his fist clenched so tight that the sake bottle shattered in his hand. Glass and sake showered down over the two men, glittering sharply in the moonlight gleaming through the bar window. Chad gave a wounded bellow and sank to knees on the soaked ground, scrabbling in the glass as if trying to dig out the sake.

And Renji fell silent as he knelt down to do the same.

******************************

_But our hopes, your dreams_

_Won't fade into the empty seams._

_Your lives, our souls_

_Only in counts of six are whole._

_Two babies born, their hands entwined._

_Her first, you next._

_A cry of welcome fills the air_

_And watching eyes are left to stare._

_A mother's tears she doesn't hide._

_A father's smile spreads out wide._

_And no one wonders if it's fair._

Isshin Kurosaki beamed proudly as he looked down at the exhausted woman in the hospital bed. He chestnut hair was limp with sweat, but her gray eyes were burning with determination and life. Orihime had always been a beautiful woman, but somehow, bedraggled and tired as she was, she had reached a new level of beauty. Next to her sat a young man with dark hair and glasses, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of pride and concern.

Standing on Uryuu's right was a tall shinigami with long red hair and a mess of tattoos all across his face and arms. Isshin knew they spread even farther under the loose black uniform. On Uryuu's left was another young man, huge and dark-skinned with shaggy brown hair. He had once looked much older than his actual age. Now, having barely changed at all, he seemed the youngest of the group. Isshin knew that was a mere illusion, though. None of these people were young, and they hadn't been for a long time. Not since their collective soul had been split apart in a violent tragedy.

But not even the thought of that tragic day long past could dampen Isshin's pleasure right now. With a dramatic flourish, he deposited a newborn baby boy into Orihime's arms. And with a deep solemn bow, he placed an infant girl, the identical twin of the boy, into the arms of Uryuu. He slipped out of the room without a sound, knowing it will take only seconds for the children's reiatsu to be recognized. Knowing that it wasn't his place to intrude as these six people were made whole again.

He doesn't have to be in the room to see Chad sit down heavily, his eyes suddenly wide. He knows Renji's jaw has dropped in shock and amazement. He can feel the tears of joy streaming down Orihime's face. And from out in the hospital hallway, Isshin shares an unseen but proud smile with Uryuu. And he lets fall a few tears of his own as he fills out two birth certificates.

_Ishida Ichigo and Ishida Rukia. Twin children of Ishida Uryuu and Orihime._

"Welcome home."

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**A/N:** Well, I hope you liked it! And I realize that so far all of these have had something to do with Ichigo. ::sheepish look:: I really hadn't planned on doing that. Well, the next three ideas I have don't really have much to do with him! I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I'm definitely working on it!

Oh, and Happy Birthday **thatgirlstaring**! I hope you enjoyed the story!


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